Operation Union

HMCS Toronto underway from her namesake harbour.      

(Photo from Department of National Defence)

From CTV News:

Defence Minister Bill Graham announced Friday that Ottawa would be sending three Canadian warships and a coast guard vessel packed with relief supplies to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The ships carrying 1,000 sailors will depart from Halifax on Tuesday. The task group will carry engineers, electricians, clearance divers and medics.

The task force commander, Commodore Dean McFadden, said Sunday the force's immediate goal is to provide backfill for American rescue workers. But he said he expected the Canadian involvement to expand in the coming weeks.  McFadden said the ships going down would carry supplies such as water containers, toiletry kits, insect repellents and other medical supplies needed to deal with "the anticipated level of disease."

Also, a team of divers from Canada's Pacific fleet base is joining the Armed Forces relief effort. The 18-member team is flying from Victoria to Pensacola, Florida on Sunday to join their U.S. Navy counterparts for deployment in search and rescue operations. An elite team of rescue experts from Vancouver has saved 30 people in a suburb east of New Orleans. On Friday, the Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue team was designated to lead rescue efforts in St. Bernard Parish, where an estimated 30,000 homes were flooded to their rooflines.

Comments

[Layla]

Thank you to the Canadians! Thank you US Navy. Thank you everyone who is giving $, time and prayer.

Some of my favorite people are from (or were from) Canada including my best friend who lives in Calgary, my father who lived in Nova Scotia and tons of great musicians including Joni Mitchell and RUSH.